Bakery tray having an adjustable merchandising window

Abstract

An open top bakery tray that is stackable and nestable on trays of like design. The tray has a generally rectangular configuration including a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls. One of the walls is cut away to define a merchandising window to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials and the tray further includes a gate moveable between an open position in which the window is unobstructed to allow free access to the tray and a closed position in which the gate extends across the window to preclude the inadvertent displacement of merchandise from the tray.

Description

[0001] This application claims benefit of provisional patent application No. 60 / 696,093, filed Jul. 1, 2005, entitled BASKET HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE MERCHANDISING WINDOW.BACKGROUND Field of the Invention [0002] This invention relates generally to containers and more particularly to bakery trays or baskets which can be nested or stacked. Background of the Invention [0003] Containers of the nesting and stacking type are well known in the bakery art. In the bakery industry, bake goods come in different heights and sizes such as hamburger buns, loaves of bread and cakes. It is therefore desirable to provide a stackable tray that accommodates the varying sizes of the baked goods. A number of multi-level stacking trays have been developed and at least some of the prior art trays include a merchandising window in one or more sides of the tray to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials. While convenient, such windows allow the possibil...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] More specifically this invention relates to the provision of a bakery tray having a merchandising window which may be selectively opened or closed to facilitate loading and unloading of merchandise into the tray and preclude inadvertent discharge of merchandise from the tray.

[0007] According to the invention, one of the walls is cut away to define a merchandising window to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials in the tray further includes a gate moveable between an open position in which the window is unobstructed and a closed position in which the gate extends across the window. This arrangement allows the provision of a merchandising window while yet preserving the strength and integrity of the tray to reduce tray deflection and potential product damage.

Problems solved by technology

While convenient, such windows allow the possibility of merchandise being inadvertently displaced from the tray.

The windows also significantly reduce the strength of the tray and allow excessive deflection of the sides defining the windows, which deflection can lead to product damage.

Images